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Indiana Pacers position battles: Power forward

By Adrian Lawhorn

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 4: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 4, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 4: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 4, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Indiana Pacers will have spirited competition for multiple starting positions next season. The power forward spot will be manned by either Thaddeus Young or Domantas Sabonis.

The Indiana Pacers have added nine new players to the roster this summer, and the power forward position is one that has taken on a new look.

T.J. Leaf was Indiana’s first-round draft pick in June, and while he shows promise as a stretch-4, he will not initially be in the running for a starting spot when the 2017-18 season opens.

The competition for the starting power forward position will pit Thaddeus Young against Domantas Sabonis, who was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paul George trade.

Young is the better and more experienced player at this stage of their respective careers, and he should be able to hold onto his starting spot to begin the season.

Thaddeus Young is a good all-around player; he can score inside and outside, shooting a career-best 38 percent from behind the 3-point line last year.

Young is also a very good defensive player, ranking 15th among 81 power forwards in the NBA last season in terms of defensive efficiency (per ESPN‘s Defensive Real Plus-Minus statistics).

Thaddeus Young accomplished all this while dealing with a debilitating wrist injury for a significant part of the 2016-17 campaign — he showed a great deal of toughness and professionalism while battling this adversity.

Domantas Sabonis started 66 games for the Thunder during his rookie season, but despite the fact that Oklahoma City is a better team than the Pacers, Sabonis probably won’t immediately assume that role in Indiana.

Sabonis flashed a versatile offensive game while at Gonzaga, but he did not get the opportunity to play on the block much in an offense that started and finished with Russell Westbrook.

He is considered a strong rebounder, and his defense was on par with Thaddeus Young’s last season according to the Defensive Real Plus-Minus metric from ESPN.

He also did not shoot the ball well as a rookie, posting shooting splits of .399/.321/.657. Sabonis not a great athlete, which will likely hold him back in comparison to top power forwards around the league.

Giving major minutes to Thaddeus Young should help the Pacers win more games next year, but at the same time, the team’s brass is high on Domantas Sabonis’ potential.

The situation here is similar to the one Indiana has at point guard with Darren Collision and Cory Joseph: the veteran should get the nod at the outset, but scenarios exist in which the younger player could receive increased playing time.

If Young struggles or the Pacers begin to drop out of playoff contention, it is conceivable that head coach Nate McMillan could turn to Sabonis.

Indiana wants to make a playoff push and win as many games as possible, but they also have to balance that with their desire to develop the young talent they now have on hand.

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Domantas Sabonis will see time on the floor even as Thaddeus Young’s backup, but as the season progresses, we could see a shift toward Sabonis if his performance to that point warrants it and the Pacers feel it’s time to begin looking toward the future.

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